Coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium rho-nitrosophenate

ABSTRACT

A NEW COMPOUND, COCO DIMETHYL BENZYL AMMONIUM P-NITROSOPHENATE IS DISCLOSED. USEFUL AS A BACTERIOCIDE, ESPECAILLY AGAINST DESULFOVIBRIO DESULFURICANS, THE COMPOUND MAY BE MIXED WITH FRESH OR SALINE WATER TO BE USED FOR SECONDARY OIL RECOVERY OPERATIONS TO PREVENT BIOSYNTHETIC GENERATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE DURING SUCH OPERATIONS.

United States Patent Int. Cl. C07c 87/30 US. Cl. 260567.5 1 ClaimABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A new compound, coco dimethyl benzyl ammoniump-nitrosophenate is disclosed. Useful as a bacteriocide, especiallyagainst Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, the compound may be mixed withfresh or saline water to be used for secondary oil recovery operationsto prevent biosynthetic generation of hydrogen sulfide during suchoperations.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 659,320 filed Aug. 9, 1967 now Patent No.3,551,334.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention The invention isconcerned with bacteriocides and made specifically with chemical agentsfatal to Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, a microbe known tobiosynthetically produce noisome hydrogen sulfide in secondary oilrecovery operations. Accordingly the invention is further concerned withthe use of the novel bacteriocidal compound in such oil recoveryoperations.

(2) Prior art To the best of my knowledge the presently disclosedcompound has not been previously known.

Bacteriocides have previously been added to solutions for oil recoveryoperations with varying degrees of success, but the presently disclosedcompound, being new, is not believed to have been so used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have discovered a bacteriocide, coco dimethylbenzyl ammonium p-nitrosophenate, which is specifically fatal toDesulfovibrio desulfuricans, a pseudomonad, and a biosynthesizer ofhydrogen sulfide in secondary oil recovery solutions. Accordingly I havefurther discovered a composition for secondary recovery of oil fromwells which includes an aqueous mixture, in fresh or salt water, of cocodimethyl benzyl ammonium p-nitrosophenate and a method for such recoverywhich includes introducing the fresh or salt water into a well followingnormal pumping recovery of oil therefrom, mixing the water with residualcrude oil in the well and withdrawing the mixture from the well forseparation of oil values therefrom, and during pumping and separating,limiting generation of hydrogen sulfide in the mixture by the presencetherein of an effective amount of coco dimethyl benzyl ammoniump-nitrosophenate.

The p-nitroso portion of the compound is believed to be reduced byhydrogen sulfide present in the recovered 3,646,139 Patented Feb. 29,1972 "ice in which Ph is a phenyl radical and coco is a long chain fattyacid containing predominantly C and C radicals, and the nitroso, -NOradical, is para to the oxygen, radical. This compound may be preparedas fcllows.

Example 1.Sodium metal (2.3 parts) was dissolved in methyl alcoholparts). To the resulting sodium methylate solution there was added 9.4parts phenol. Following solution of the phenol 326 parts of cocodimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride was added. The mixture was stirredbriefly and heated to 50 C. for 15 minutes. Sodium chloride was filteredoiT after cooling the mixture to 25 C. There remained an alcoholsolution of coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium phenate. This solution wassaturated with nitrous oxide (N0) gas and let stand for 24 hours at 25C. A waxy solid, coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium p-nitrosophonate may beseparated from the solution by evaporation of the alcohol therefrom.

The herein disclosed compound is useful as a bacteriocide in aqueous oilsuspensions such as those encountered in secondary oil recoveryoperations.

Example 2.--An aqueous suspension of crude oil is innoculated withDesulfovibrio desulfuricans and divided into two parts. A first part(Example 2) is treated with the compound prepared in Example 1 at aconcentration of 10 parts per million parts by weight of water. No odorof hydrogen sulfide was apparent after 12 hours.

The second part (Control I) was not treated but let stand for 12 hours.The odor of hydrogen sulfide was quite apparent above the suspension.

The proportions of coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium p-nitrosophenateemployed is not narrowly critical. In general, the amount used will bean effective amount, i.e. an amount sufficient to limit hydrogen sulfidebiosynthesis, such as the amount required to destroy substantially allDesulfovibrio desulfuricans in the treated water-oil mixture. As aguide, as little as 0.5 part per million parts by weight of water iseffective in many cases. Where bacteria count is more than minimal, from1 to 25 parts per million may be a minimum. Beyond about 500 or 1000parts per million increased effectiveness is not generally commensuratewith the increased cost.

Example 3.-A composition comprising salt water (3- 20% by weight NaCl)and coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium p-nitrosophenate was injected into oilwells following pumping extraction of most of the oil therefrom.Concentrations of the bacteriocide are varied from 0.5 to 1000 parts permillion parts of the oil-water mixture resulting from the injections.Samples of the mixtures are taken on pumping from the well. Between 50and 500 in inhibiting hydrogen sulfide biosynthesis with lesser amounts,especially below 10 parts per million having reduced but nonethelessappreciable eifectiveness and higher concentrations not affording anygreater eflFectiveness.

I claim:

1. Coco dimethyl benzyl ammonium p'nitrosophenate.

v iReferenceslCited FOREIGN PATENTS 614,763 12/1948 Great Britain.

5 HOWARD T. MARS, Primary Examiner M. W. GLYNN, Assistant 'EXaminer

